Archive of posts filed under the Hot Hatches category.

Ever since the first generation Ford Focus RS arrived in 2002, the car has been a little bit of a legend. The first generation model looked fairly unassuming, but with 212 hp and a 0-60 time of just 6.4 seconds, it was able to blow the doors off many unwary sports car drivers. The second generation Focus RS was a little lot less subtle. Even if it wasn’t coated in that eye-searing lime green paint Ford offered it in, it still stood out a mile away. It was also faster and more powerful than its predecessor. The latest model, the third generation Ford Focus RS, happily continues on where the Mk2 Focus RS left off.

The 2016 Ford Focus RS is a ninja of a car. It’s stealthy, extremely capable and full of surprises. Not least of which is the fact now all four wheels get a share of the power being produced by that turbocharged engine up front.

With a resurgent Jaguar slowly filling in their lineup with more and more vehicles designed to compete with their German counterparts, it’s no wonder there’s some speculation on whether the company will go down-market (just a little) and offer something to compete with the likes of the BMW 1-Series or Audi A3. The Jaguar XD Hatchback is an entirely unscientific example of what that car might look like.Continue reading ‘Jaguar XD Hatchback rendered’ »

BMW has finally realised what everyone else noticed from the first day it was introduced, the BMW 1 Series has an incredibley ugly face. But thanks to a major facelift, the car now looks much better. It’s still not beautiful. But it’s now not such an embarassment for the company.

The whole front end has been redesigned and now features bigger air intakes, a revised apron and a different kidney grille with a more sculpted frame and chrome accents. But perhaps most importantly, the 2015 BMW 1 Series now has new headlights. As standard the car comes with twin circular configuration headlights with with LED daytime running lights. Optionally, the 1-Series can be bought with full LED headlights (including the indicators) as well as adaptive LED headlights with High Beam Assistant function and LED fog lights with cornering.Continue reading ‘Facelifted 2015 BMW 1 Series’ »

The original Renault 5 was a compact hatchback which was very popular in Europe during the ’70s through to the ’90s. Two generations of the car were built, with the most desirable model being the mid-engined Renault R5 Turbo – which was basically a rally car made street legal. But ever since the Renault 5 went out of production in the mid-nineties, there hasn’t been a Renault hatchback which has achieved the same cult status.

But with a multitude of manufacturers now reviving iconic models from their past, it might be time for Renault to bring back the 5. Slovenian designer Matic Vihtelic, certainly thinks so. He’s designed a rather dainty looking Renault 5 concept which is designed to appeal to a younger generation of car buyers.Continue reading ‘New Renault 5 Concept’ »

Toyota’s youth-orientated sub-brand Scion has created a sporty little hot-hatch concept which is a preview of a new model for the U.S. market. The car is basically a rebadged Toyota Auris with a few tuning modifications. In fact it looks more like a SEMA show car than a serious concept which will actually make its world debut at the 2014 LA Auto Show.

Fiat only revealed the 500X compact crossover last week, but already the thought of a hot Abarth version has entered into some peoples heads, the Hungarian Photoshop artist X-Tomi being one of them.

He’s put his talent to good use and come up with what looks like a fairly realistic rendering of what a Fiat 500X Abarth might look like. The gap between the tires and the wheel arches looks a little tight for a practical production vehicle, but aside from that it’s all very believable.Continue reading ‘Fiat 500X Abarth rendered’ »

At the 2014 Paris Motor Show, Honda will be providing a sneak peek at the all-new Civic Type R which is set to go on sale in Europe next year. Other markets, including the US, will have to wait to find out when, or if, it’s headed their way.

When announcing the specifications of the concept, Honda has made some fairly exciting claims. Chief amongst them is the statement that the new Civic Type R will have unmatched performance against all previous Type R models, including the legendary NSX. That’s bold talk, which no doubt will be tested in real-life through some fairly entertaining comparison tests.

The 2015 Honda Civic Type R will be powered by a high-revving, turbocharged, 2.0 litre four-cylinder engine which produces more than 280 horsepower. The transmission is a six-speed manual. A manual transmission was chosen to give the driver a more involved experience, and also because picking your own gear as you head into your favorite corner is one of life’s little pleasures that any driver’s car should offer.Continue reading ‘2015 Honda Civic Type R previewed in concept form’ »

At the 2014 Paris Motor Show, the range-topping ADAM S will be unveiled by Vauxhall/Opel. The ADAM S features a more powerful engine, an upgraded chassis and some eye-catching design tweaks.

Visually the ADAM S is marked out by a new lip spoiler, side sills, a new rear bumper, a rear spoiler, ADAM S badging and unique paintwork options which includes 10 different body colors and 4 different roof colors. 17-inch wheels come fitted as standard, with 18-inchers o the options list.

On the inside the ADAM S is offered with four different seat styles, 3 of which are unique to the sporty ADAM. The optional leather package features a black and red steering wheel, gear knob and handbrake, as well as red and white lighting for the instrument panel and door switches. The standard infotainment system is fully compatible with latest smartphones using both ANDROID and Apple iOS. It provides USB and Bluetooth connectivity, audio streaming, seven speakers and a 7-inch high-definition colour touch-screen.Continue reading ‘Top-of-the-line Vauxhall/Opel ADAM S get 150 hp turbo engine’ »

When Citroen setup the DS division of the company in 2010 it was seen as an offshoot intended to produce a limited volume of slightly more upmarket cars which were a little off-beat, dramatic and stylish. But now, four years after DS was launched, the outfit has sold over half a million vehicles worldwide, and the Citroen connection, although just as strong behind the scenes, is being increasingly muted in public.

The Divine DS concept is a vehicle which will be making its public debut shortly at the 2014 Paris Motor Show. It’s intended to represent the future of the DS brand, and show the sorts of vehicle they’ll be producing in the near future, as well as the high-fashion interiors they’ll be packing.

Designed and built in Paris, the Divine DS concept is a compact 4-door vehicle. It’s overall shape is pretty standard for a hatchback, but the details are striking. It has laser headlights, a glittering front grille filled with floating diamond shapes of different sizes and finished in varying shades of chrome, a chrome highlighted character line running nearly the full length of the car and an unusual diamond patterned roof. At the rear the Divine DS concept features jewel-like LED tail lights.Continue reading ‘Divine DS concept – it’s not a Citroen’ »

The MINI Hatch has always been a 3-door vehicle. Ever since the original model it only had two passenger doors and a rear hatchback. But now, with the introduction of the MINI 5-door Hatch, that’s about to change.

The new 5-door MINI is longer, more spacious and more practical than its 3-door brethren. It’s lost a bit of its stylistic appeal thanks to the additional set of doors, but the added people and cargo carrying capabilities should make up for that. The interior is more spacious, offering a smidgen more headroom, more elbow room and most noticeably, rear seat leg room. The rear bench now also offers a middle seat. The trunk is also roughly 30 percent larger than that of the 3-door model.Continue reading ‘MINI 5-door Hatch – longer, roomier, more practical’ »